Tray for wardrobe trunks



Oct. 23, 1923.

O. RANGNOW TRAY FOR WARDROBE TRUNKS Fil ed Aug. 23 1921 2 -Z3 OttoRangnow @ww wm al ke: nu

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OTTO EANGNOW, O35 PHILADELPHIA, 'JPEIQ'EISYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELFAND RUDOLPH C. RANGNOEV, .EZLDOLPE I17. EAI'JGHOW, BEARIE TIL THUSS,TRADING AS EANGNGVJ' BRGTHERS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,

TRAY FOR WARDROBE TRUNKS.

Application filed August 23, 1921. Serial No. 494,525.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, (fir'ro RANGNQW, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the count of Philadeh phia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Trayfor Wardrobe Trunks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in wardrobe trunks, andparticularly relates to a tray pivotally mounted within the body portionof the wardrobe trunk.

The object of my invention is to provide a tray which will close intothe body portion of the trunk, and swin open into a horizontal position,and provide novel means for mounting the tray so that it willautomatically slide rearwardly into the body portion during the openingmovement of the tray, and thus overcome the tendency of the weight ofthe tray to overbalance and tilt forward the body portion, and a furtherob ject of my invention is to provide guides which will permit ofhorizontal movement of the tray, so that, when it is opened, it may bepushed rearwardly into the body portion and thus bring the center ofgravity bf the tray nearly within the lines of the body portion. 7

Referring to the accompanymg drawings: Fig. 1, is a View in elevation ofa portion of a wardrobe trunk embodying my invention Fig. 2, is avertical section on line 2-2 Fig. 1; Fig. 8, is a partial view similarto Fig. 2, showing the tray partially lowered in full lines, and fullylowered in dotted lines; Fig. 4, is a view similar to Fig. 3, showingthe tray in full lines in the horizontal position and pushed fully backinto the body of the trunk and in the partially closed position indotted lines; Fig. 5, is partial perspective view of the interior of thetrunk body, with the tray removed and drawn on a larger scale, and Fig.6, is a partial perspective view of the tray detached, showing the pivotmembers and drawn on a larger scale.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters referto like parts, 1 and 2 represent the body portions hinged together inthe usual manner and forming a wardrobe trunk adapted to be opened andclosed when in a vertical or standing position.

els 7 and 8 of the body portion 2, and adja cent to the back panel 9, isa horizontal panel or shelf 12 upon which the tray 4 is supported.

The tray 4 is made in the form of a closed receptacle having a top panel14 with hinged sections or lids 15, a front or bottom panel 16, sidepanels 17 and 18, back-end panel 19 I and a front-end panel 20. Thefront or bottom panel 16 is provided with a handle-21 for swinging thetray 4 from the closed position within the body portion, shown in fulllines Fig; 2, into the open position ihown in dotted lines, Fig. 2 andin full lines The tray 4 is provided at opposite sides thereof withpivot members 22 and 23, in the form of angle plates which are securedto the back end panel 19 and to the front panel 16 with the pivot arms24 projecting beyond the lines of the side panels 17 and 18 of the tray.

The pivot members 22 and 23 of the tray rest upon the horizontal panel12. A. metal protecting plate 25, (see Fig. 5), is secured adjacent toeither end of the panel 12, and upon which plate 25 the said pivotmembers are free to slide. .Guide strips 28 are secured to the sidepanels of the body portion 2' and said strips 28 are spaced a sufiicientdistance above the protecting plate 25 to form a groove 30 in which thearms 24 of the pivot members freely slide, thus permitting the tray tobe moved rearwardly until the back-end panel 19 thereof is against theback panel 9 of the body portion, as shown in full lines in Fig. 4. btopplates 32 and 33 are secured in a fixed position upon the body portion,in alignment with the grooves 30 and prevent the tray from being drawntoo far forward by forming stops which prevent the pivot members frombeing disengaged from the grooves 30.

Stop strips 35 and 36 are secured to the that they will strike againstthe vertical stop strips 35 and 36 when tile tray is being opened, asshown in full lines Fig. 3. The tray as it is being opened will have apivotal movement around the fulcrum blocks 87 and 38, which movementwill force the pivot members 22 and 28 rearwardly in the grooves 30,and. the tray, if allowed to fall into the horizontal posi tion, will beautomatica 1y drawn rearwardly into the position shown in dotted linesFig. 3, and the strain upon the stops and pivot members is reducedbecause the tray is partially drawn within the front lines of the bodyportion and the weight of "the tray will be partially supported upon thefront edge of the horizontal panel 12. The pivot members 22 and 28 willeX- ert an upward force against the under side of the horizontal guidestrips 28, thus relieving, to a considerable extent, the strain upon thefulcrum blocks 37 and 38 and the vertical stops 35 and 36. By thisarangement for hinging the tray, so that it'is drawn partially back intothe body portion, the tendency of the weight of the tray, when it isallowed to fall into the open position, is less likely to tilt the bodyportion forward, and by providing the horizontal guides the tray may bereadily pushed fully back into the body portion so that the center ofgravity of the tray is nearly within the lines of the body portion thusreducing the tendency of the weight of the tray overbalanoing the bodyportion. When the tray is again lifted to close it into the bodyportion, the upper back corner of the tray will take against the backpanel 9 of the body portion, as shown in dotted lines Fig. 4,- and thepivot members will slide forward, in the grooves 30, permitting the trayto be readily closed.

narnaoe secured in the body portion in which the pivot members areslidably mounted, a stop secured in the body portion adjacent to: thefront vertical plane of the latter, a fulcr in member secured upon thetray located adjacent to the rear lower corner of the latter, saidfulcrum member adapted to engage the said step when the tray is swungforwardly into the open position and move the tray rearwardly in theguides, and said fulcrum member being free to move rearwardly from thestop and allow the tray to move horizontally. V

2. A wardrobe trunk comprising a body portion, said body portion havingside back and end panels, a tray adapted to lit into the body portionand swing forwardly into the open position, vertical guide stripssecured to the inner surface of the said side panels adjacent to thefront plane of the body portion, fulcrum blocks secured upon the traylocated adjacent to the rear lower corner of the tray, fulcrum blocksadapted to take against the said guide strips during a portion of theopening movement of the tray and force the tray rearwardly into the bodyportion, and said fulcrum blocks being free to move rearwardly from thevertical guide strips permitting the tray to slide horizontally when inthe open position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

OTTO RANGNOW.

